My fingers are buzz, buzz, buzzing—I am soooo excited to write this post! Our weekend in Miami for Halston’s wedding was one of the best weekends of all time. I cannot stop thinking about it! After our morning workout, my mom, sister and I got ready for a girls’ day out!
First stop: The Local House in Miami for Brunch. If you follow my foodstagram, I’m sure you are sick of my endless posts of this place by now.. but alas I can’t help myself, this place is the ultimate brunch spot!
From the palm tree print scaling the ceilings to the wooden tiki paneling, a tropical vibe was fully realized the moment we stepped through the entrance.
Even though we sat outside I had to share the inside decor as well… holy maloly–😍
Whenever the three of us go out to eat we usually order a few dishes and all share. We have similar taste buds & this way we can try more than one thing on the menu.
First up: We tried avocado toast with poached eggs and mixed greens.
Second up: Fried eggs on avocado toast with mixed greens (We had to make sure we had enough avocado toast to go around, lol). That toast was ohhh so yummy.
Third up: The Seafood Scramble with gulf shrimp, blue crab, lobster, fine herbs, tobiko, and grilled sourdough. It was packed with flavor. You could tell the seafood was fresh as could be. This is the dish to get- truly kriller 😉
After our wonderful brunch together, we went to Starbucks to load up on more caffeine while getting our nails done!
I rarely ever get my nails done … but it felt so nice to get pampered for a day! I went with a super neutral tone on my hands since my bridesmaid dress was a bright color & then tried to match my toes to my dress. I felt so empowered with my nails did- isn’t it funny how that small detail can make a difference?
While we were getting our nails done, I received a text from DJ that he had passed by his all time favorite podcast studio (The Dan Le Batard show on ESPN) and he saw the hosts doing a skit outside as he was listening to the podcast in real time. How stinkin’ cool is that?! Needless to say, that was an all-time moment for him on the trip.
We returned to the Air BnB (which was located inside a hotel), got all our suitcases together, and then headed to the second hotel for the weekend where the bridal party and all the guests were staying for the wedding.
Time to set up for the Bachelorette party! I couldn’t go too crazy since I had to stuff everything into my suitcase, but it all came together. Since we had conjoined rooms for the bridesmaids I made Hal camp out in the other one until we were done setting up.
When all the girls arrived I handed out a Bachelorette Bucket List for the evening. Below is a small snippet of the list, hehe, but there was quite a bit on it.
**Kevin is Halston’s Fiance’s name to clarify for those wondering where that came from!
We then headed out to our first stop for the evening: The Broken Shaker. This place was such an awesome hidden gem. You would have no idea it existed from the street, but when you walk inside what appears to be a standard industrialized building, you enter into a true oasis.
We had a reserved table– upon arriving we claimed our territory, put in our appetizer order and then strolled the property.
The drinks were spectacular. The true definition of “refreshing” especially the mojito!
Even the little tucked away areas were adorable.
We also had to get tons of pictures with the bride to be before hand- this is a smallllll fraction, hehe.
Once the appetizers came, we scurried back to our table, ready to chow! We had this lil’ friend waiting for us on the water jug.
We enjoyed some plantain chips with a delicious aioli and artichoke fries with tzatziki sauce. All tasty & the perfect appetizers!
During my Bachelorette prep, I looked up a ton of Bachelorette party games before hand, and none of them seemed like they would top What Do You Meme. So I brought this along, and we had so much fun playing it! I dare say it’s my favorite game- it always leaves us belly laughing.
The “I Do” Crew + The Stunning Bride-to-be!!
Alright… Dinner time!! For dinner we went to a place called Delores, But You Can Call Me Lolita (Yes, that is the actual full name of the restaurant- quite a mouth full, eh?) (quite literally 😜) . It’s a two story restaurant- we requested to sit on their rooftop that overlooks the city.
I knew it was beautiful from pictures I had seen of it before hand, but wow- it was more stunning & adorably detail-oriented than I could have even imagined. It is elegant, yet relaxed and has a sophisticated feel without being stuffy. I could not have imagined a better spot for a Bachelorette party dinner! I highly recommend if you are looking for one in Miami.
Even their menu is fun to read and find all the little nuggets of creativity.
We called this Halston’s Iron Throne. Well, actually, none of the other bridesmaids watched Game of Thrones, so I guess that’s a little inside joke with me, myself, and I. 😆
The menu was affordable, yet contemporary and chic. It totally gave the feel of eating “fancy” without the price tag. (Which is super hard to find in Miami). I split a salad and the octopus with Halston which was all spectacular.
After dinner we went back to the hotel room and all gathered around and opened Hal’s gifts 🙂
On our way out to hit the town round #2, we saw my entire family in the lobby restaurant/bar! Hal got this sweet picture with our grandma and grandpa <3 It was my first time seeing them that weekend, as well as my first time seeing my Aunt and Uncle since they arrived. So fun to have a quick mini fam reunion! DJ hung with them the whole day, so it was great to get a quick hug from him and hear how much fun he was having. My grandma said DJ was her buddy for the day- so sweet.
Time to get this Bachelorette dancing! Halston requested going to a place that had Salsa or Latina music; she loves Bachata too— but the one main place we found that was playing it was soooo crowded. Apparently we found the best place in town, it was just not the best kept secret! It made it hard to even move. After deciding to maybe try somewhere else, we wondered around a little and then we found this super hole in the wall spot. Even though there was hardly anyone there we had a blast. The band even gave us instruments and we were given a little dance lesson 💃🏼 . Sometimes it’s the unplanned/spontaneous moments that end up being the best!
Here is a couple of us attempting to learn to do this dance (but I have no idea which one- Salsa? Bachata?). I was failing miserably either way 🤣 but it was so much fun!
We went back to the hotel and played a few more games, enjoyed our snacks, and I handed out the gift to the Bucket List winner- Vanessa! (One of Halston’s best friends from Colombia!). It was an unforgettable day/ night celebrating Hal! 🥳 💕🎊
Questions for you:
- Have you been to Miami?
- Do you like to dance ?
xo <3
I’ve never been to Miami and I’m a poor dancer, but I love your short videos!!! 🙂 All the photos are fabulous!!! Loved them. The food looks delicious ~ you ate octopus??? Oh my word! Great times. Great memories!!! 🙂
Thank you, Kathy!! Hehe- it was so yummy! I didn’t like octopus the first time I tried it, but it is prepared so many different ways and can be soo delicious if done right 😋 thanks for sharing in these fun memories with us!
looks like you had a lot of fun. I’m glad you enjoyed the day/night celebrating your sister.
Thanks so much! 🤗 we have reminisced on it quite a bit since- such a great evening. 💕
The decor at the Local House looks so cute!! Also love that your family was there in Miami too
Isn’t it?! I feel like it’s something you could recreate easily 🙂 (and I mean you and only you, lol!). Thanks for reading! 💕
Seriously looks like so so so much fun! Congrats to your girlfriend!!!!
Thank you, Amanda! We couldn’t quite go all out with the small budget/ Thursday night/ hotel room set up, but we did what we could! Now the ultimate Bach party was yours!!!! Seriously the coolest I’ve ever seen! Xox ❤️
Aww thank you so much ☺️ 💕
🤗❤️
I’ve passed through Miami but have never actually been there. Sounds like a fun place. I love love love your dress!! So trendy/fun with the lace but a classic cut. I agree with you about your nails. Having freshly painted nails makes me feel like I can take on the world. So I might have to find some time later to do them or hurry up and unpack then I’ll definitely have time to paint them tomorrow. Have a wonderful week Mackenzie 🙂
It was my first time spending any real time there too, and it was just so fun!
Aw thanks, Maureen !!! It was dirt cheap on Amazon- like 20 ish bucks I think. It was a teeeeny bit short for my liking, but for the price and occasion it worked well enough! So thank you for those sweet words ☺️
Agreeeed! 💅
Have a great rest of your week too! Hope unpacking is going smoothly for youuu!
You’re welcome! I’ve never bought clothes on Amazon but people find the best things so I’ll have to start checking it out.
Thank you! Have a great Friday girl!
Yayyy!! Hope you had a great weekend too ☺️
It looks like y’all had a blast! It put me in my feels a little bit because the places y’all went reminded me so much of my bachelorette party. We went to Charleston for mine. 😊Congratulations to Halston! She will be a beautiful bride. 💕
Hi!!! Thanks for reading 🙂 I love that it gave you a little hit of nostalgia- bachelorette parties are such a blast!
I have always wanted to go to Charleston! I heart he best things!
Aww you are too sweet! She was stunning! I am about three months late with this so i do have some posts coming from her wedding too 🤗 have a great rest of the week!
Oh my gosh! I am so happy that you had one of the best weekends ever, everything sounds so amazing and special. Celebrating your sister & family time is just so precious and this post was just so heartwarming to read! I am so grateful you had the best time celebrating hun! It sounds perfect. I love the Bachelorette Bucket List idea omg I will be taking this for my sisters ‘do! It’s brilliant! Such fun! And I LOVE What Do You Meme- that game is just hilarious! And the photo of Hal and your grandparents is so precious. What a beautiful weekend, thank you so so much for sharing Mack. So much love to you ❤️ And sending you so many blessings for the future and many more best weekends ever to come! ❤️
Hi, Jay!! Thanks girl 🙂
Hehe I’m so glad you like it!!! if you need more ideas for the list let me know- there was way more on it than is featured here!
Thank you for sharing in this weekend with us :). Hope you are doing well, love! Xox
Yes and NOOOOOOOO. 🙂
Haha! People usually do feel pretty strongly one way or another. I’m in the lovee to dance category, just not the best at it 🤣
I move a bit more after I’ve had a couple of drinks haha.
Haha fair enough!
Everything looks absolutely perfected! I love, love, love the Bachelorette Bucket List! I wish I were more outgoing, but I’m so shy when it comes to doing those types of things, haha. I’m glad you all had some wonderful celebrations and time with your sister! Thank you for sharing with us, Mackenzie. Lots of love and fun games to you!
Aw thank you, Steph! I feel like I wanted to do wayyyy more with the decor – but with the hotel space , budget, time and suitcase restrictions we were pretty limited- but my sister has said over and over how it was one of her favorite nights which is all that matters!
Thanks so much for your sweet words ! Hope you are having a lovely week 🤗
Perhaps that’s better with limited space to prevent you from doing so! Haha, I know what you mean though. I wanted to buy so much for my sister’s, but you did wonderful! It looked like a memorable time!
Thank you, Mackenzie! I hope you’re doing well! ❦
Haha so trueee!
Hope you are too ❤️🤗
I’m a horrible dancer, but that never stops me from dancing haha! Looks like so much fun!
Haha oh girl, ME TOO. Thanks for reading 🙂 xo
Sounds like so much fun! I’ve never been to Miami, but a childhood friend of mine just got married there too a few months ago; must be a popular destination wedding location.
The only dancing I do (other than in the mirror or while driving) is swing. I adore dancing to music from the 20s and 30s. Swoon…
I think it is ! It wasn’t really on my radar until my sister wanted to have her wedding there and after going I see why- such a fun spot!
Lol I hear ya with the mirror and drive dancing 🤣 and yessss- the Roaring twenties had the best moves 💃🏼
Wow – what a wonderful time you girls had before you connected with the rest of the family. There were some delicious-looking treats and you did wonderfully with the bachelorette party favors considering you said you were packing light. That mural of the woman was really awesome. All you girls took nice pictures and the pictures of you and Halston as well as the group shot were great – whomever took the photo(s) did a wonderful job (sometimes you hand the camera over and hope for the best – they did very well!)
Thank you, Linda!! I wish I could have gone more “all out” with the decor- but we made do. Halston had a good time and that’s all that matters!
Haha so true- you never do no what you’ll get when you hand over the camera 🤣
I thought it looked great, as did the bridal shower you had earlier this year.
That’s for sure for picture-taking; you hope the person at least gets you into the frame. My father could not take a picture and get my whole body in the photo, even when I was a kid. He’d have all this empty space, a car, the grass … and I was almost out of the picture – it got worse when I was a teen and 5′ 9″ tall and he was 5′ 3″ – half the time my head was cut off. 🙂
Aw thank you thank you!!! 🤗🥰
Hahah that made me laugh!! 😆 maybe it’s a “dad gene” that makes it hard to take a good picture of others!
Your decorations are soooo cute!! The Local House looks ah-mazing! And while I love me some avocado toast with eggs, I would definitely want to try that seafood scramble!! You found the cutest places! My husband have talked about taking a long weekend down to Miami so I’ll definitely have to keep these in mind! I have been to Miami, but only to specific locations. While my husband and I had a few lunch dates in Naples, our first “official” date was going over to the Miami Metro Zoo. I was also at a women’s conference in Ft. Lauderdale once and my girlfriends and I went to the News Cafe in Miami Beach. Plus, when my mom and I fly to Scotland, we fly out of Miami. I do love to dance, but am not very good. lol. So it takes a bit of nerve to dance in public. 🙂
Aw thanks, Amy!!! I wish we could have done more but the space was limiting (in the room and suitcase).
The seafood scramble is sending my mouth watering at the thought- the seafood was so fresh!
Oh yay! I hope you guys can go soon 🤗 I highly highly recommend Delores but you can call me Lolita!
Awww I loved learning about all your Miami fun! That’s so sweet your first date was at the zoo there.
I am with ya- I’m definitely not a great dancer but I can’t help myself when that music starts playing 🤣 thanks for reading ! Have a great day!
Omg the Local House looks incredible!!!! I would totally love to eat there for brunch the interior design is amazing and the food looks great!
Awh the decorations for her party look so cute! Well done!
And I love that you’re all wearing black dresses and shes wearing white. That’s perfect!
And I seriously have to get What Do You Meme, I love memes so much its the perfect game haha
Oh wow the rooftop of that place looks so cool! I’ve never had the pleasure of going to any rooftop restaurant around here but would love to lol.
Awh your grandparents are cuteeee!! And how cute that DJ was her buddy for the day how precious!
Glad you guys found a place to dance that wasnt crowded and enjoyed yourselves!! From what I heard, the music in the background of the videos it was salsa! 😉
I’ve never been to Miami but I would love to visit, I actually have a friend that lives there….and I do like to dance…in fact, growing up I loved dancing. So much lol. Idk why i ever stopped..
It was the ultimate brunch spot for sure!!!
Thanks so much 🤗 I would have liked to go more all out, but it’s hard with travelin’ ya know?!
Ah I think you’re right about the salsa!! 💃🏼 that’s what I thought it was but didn’t wanna be wrong, lol!
Aw I love that!! What type of dance did you do growing up?
haha yeah I get it, you don’t want to take too many things with you to begin with.
And I used to really be into hip hop dancing, I actually wanted to BE a hip hop dancer when I was younger. I had heard that there was a dance team in HS as a freshman, but then it turned out to be like….interpretative dance almost, I thought that was lame LOL so I was like “NEVERMIND!” but I did go out to lots of parties and danced to lots of Latin music, of all kinds LOL
haha I love that!!! interpretive dance makes me think of Napoleon Dynamite for some reason, so just the thought makes me giggle, lol!
I want to go to Miami now ! The decor in the places you went to look so stunning, looks like the whole weekend went amazing!!
Hi, Jen!!! Oh my gosh you’d loveeee it! Miami is such a fun, vibrant place! Hope you can fit it into your travels soon 🙂 I hope you are so well. Thanks for reading ☺️
I will try to keep this short because I know you’re so busy!
Every restaurant you went to is so nicely decorated! I love the long name of the Lolita place & their octopus made my mouth water the most. 🤤 You did such a great job with absolutely everything for the party, the bucket list was such a fun idea! & the photos of you two dancing are melting my heart. ♡ too cute!!!
& to answer your questions, I’ve never been to Miami but I sure do love to dance. 😄
Oh my gosh you are too dang sweet!! Reading these comments is such a highlight for me- I really appreciate you taking the time especially since I’m SOO MIA right now!
You would have loved Lolita!!!! I think that should be one of your main spots to hit if you ever visit Miami!
Awww thank you so much 🥰 hehe girl- I think you’d LOVE Miami !!! It’s such a fun vibrant city! Have a great Wednesday, love!!!
The local house is soo beautiful Mackenzie !! The place looks very inviting and I love the decor ! It is fun to share when it is 3 family members . All the food looks so yummy. You definitely deserved to be pampered by getting a Mani Pedi. You have put so much effort into your studies, you needed this I am sure! How cool for DJ to see his favorite podcast hosts in real time. That is a moment to remember for him. You did a fabulous job setting up the room for the party, I like the sip sip hooray !! That is such a fun bucket list or partial list ( hmm… what could be on the rest of it….!) The broken Shaker is a lovely place to start the party and the drinks look tasty. Fabulous pics of all the girls with the bride. I see everyone wore a LBD for the evening and it made the bride stand out in white , Hal looks amazing , as do all of you and I like that dress on you. I need to get what do you meme ? Hal looks regal on her throne ! Cute Sister pic at the gift opening ! How nice that your Grandma had a buddy to hang out with as her granddaughter was srurrying all over the place ! The dancing looked so much fun even if it was a learning curve ! It seems like a wonderful day was had by all. Thanks for sharing Dear! I have not been to Miami , I would have to go in the depths of their harsh winter !!! I dolike to dance but have not been for a while, now where are those shoes ?!! Take care, Terri xo.
Hi, Terri! I have a feeling you would just LOVE the local house- it’s so chic and fun! Perfect for brunch. Hehe glad you liked the decor and bucket list- even just that portion of it 😉 lol! It was such a nice surprise to see our whole family in the lobby!! My grandma still talks about how much fun she had hanging with DJ! Thanks for your sweet comment- I’m gonna have to share it with Halston ! Hope you dust off those dancing shoes soon 🙂
I will have to dust off those dancing shoes Mackenzie for sure! I don’t know if you have been trying to access my blog but the homepage has been displaying August 10th post on top. I have to fix that. there are newer posts. Have a wonderful day, Terri xo.
Aw! I will have to look- thanks for letting me know. Unfortunately with how crazy school has been I haven’t had time to do anything but study- but I cannot wait to catch up on your blog soon! 🙂 XOX
Aww I bet it is so busy studying and I know you have too many blogs to follow in addition to writing your own. Wishing you all the best, Terri xo.
Thank you so much! That means tons 💞
This looks so much fun!! We call them hen parties in the UK and they are so much fun!xxxx
Aww How fun! I am curious the history behind that name!! Thanks for reading, Chloe!!
Mack, what an amazing celebration for Halston – is she a relative of yours? And, that brunch place looks amazing!! You always find the greatest places to eat. 🙂
So glad that things are going well for you, Mack. Or it seems that way, anyway. I am taking an extended blogging break (see my last post for more detail – spending some time in NYC) and wanted you to know that, as you won’t be seeing me as much on WordPress.
Truly, I have so enjoyed connecting and getting to know you (and DJ) here. I have an idea for you too. Email me for more ok?
Sending all my love to you and your family. Beautiful post.
Debbie
Hi, Debbie!!! Aw thank you for comment- I’ve been so MIA around here but it’s nice to come back to a comment from you! And yes- Halston is my younger sister 🙂
Thanks for letting me know about your break- sad to here but definitely support you and will be cheering you on in all your endeavors until you return! I will pop over and check out that post soon as I can.
We will definitely have to stay in touch in the meantime! Thank you so much. I treasure your friendship always, Debbie! ❤️ wishing you all the love and will be praying for these endeavors.